Ritual reform is for social progress, not for any community: Swami Satchidananda

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust president Swami Sachidananda said that the Acharana Parirakshana Yatra (Ritual Reform Yatra) of Guru Dharma Pracharana Sabha is not for any community but for the betterment of all people. He was speaking in front of the Travancore Devaswom Board headquarters at the closing ceremony of the Acharana Parirakshana Yatra Satsang.

"The Devaswom Board should decide that anyone who comes in clean and well-dressed can enter the temple wearing a shirt. When the positions of the board are monopolized by certain communities, the majority of the lower and backward sections are left behind. This should be changed and jobs should be given proportionally to the population. A good share of the income earned in the temples belongs to the lower classes. Only a few monopolized communities are progressing and getting positions with this amount. Government and Devaswom Board should end it and take action for equal social justice."

"There is a bad custom in some temples where women who come wearing churidar are required to wear a dull mundu worn by many over the churidar. This must be reformed. Guru Devan said that there should be no elephant and no firecrackers in temples. Recently, the courts have accepted the Guru's wish and issed orders. In the celebrations of the temples, elephants and firecrackers should be avoided and programs should be organized with sufficient austerity for the increase of knowledge.

While the slokas written by Vyasa, Vashishtha and Shankaracharya are sung in the temples, the Daiva Daśakam written by Sree Narayana guru who has a position with them remains untouchable in Devaswom board temples. There was a great uproar when devout women sang the Daiva Daśakam in the temples. Religious schools should be established near the temples and the good books written by great teachers including Gurudeva should be taught. The mission of Guru Dharma Pracharana Sabha will be extended to Kochi and Malabar Devaswom Boards," said Swami Satchidananda.

Swami Sankarananda, Swami Satyananda Thirtha, Swami Desikananda, Swami Vishalananda, Mata Aryananda Devi, Registrar KT Sukumaran, Sishupalan, Chief Coordinator Sathyan Pantathala, Joe Registrar Puthur Sobhanan and others spoke in the meeting presided over by Guru Dharma Pracharana Sabha Central Secretary Swami Asangananda Giri.